Reduce, Reuse, Recycle: How to Recycle Common Household Items

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle: How to recycle common household items and help make the earth a greener place.

Reduce. Reuse. Recycle. It's a common mantra today. If you already return cans and bottles to the recycling center, and separate all your plastic, metal, glass, and paper trash from the rest, you are doing the minimum.

To really make your household green and earth-friendly, you should make changes that reduce the amount of garbage you send to the landfills. The first thing you can do is carefully consider a purchase before making it.

Does your child really need one of those huge obnoxiously colored plastic jungle gyms or swing sets? If you buy one of these monstrosities, it will far outlast its need. You see them abandoned in people's backyards all the time. The color fades, but the plastic will last virtually forever. Must we cover our green earth with plastic toys?

Take your child to the park instead. Or, even better, take your child on a nature walk.

If you have been asking yourself how to recycle common household items then you are on your way to helping save the planet. As far as reducing your consumption, purchase products and groceries that come in minimal packaging. If there is packaging, make sure it's recyclable.

You can reuse certain household items. Many containers are perfect for organizing. What could be better than reducing the amount of garbage you produce and getting organized at the same time?

Coffee cans, soup cans, and vegetable cans can be used as desktop organizers. Use one for pens, one for pencils, and another for magic markers or highlighters. You can leave the labels on the can for decoration, or remove and recycle the labels.

Crafts stores sell kits that you can use to turn unwanted junk mail into beautiful unique stationary. It's a great way to write personal notes, make greeting cards, or give as gifts.

Disposable baby wipes come in round or rectangular plastic containers with covers. These are perfect to store small items like toiletries. They easily organize lipsticks, nail polish, eye shadow, and more. Use one for cotton balls, and another for cotton swabs.

Instead of constantly buying bottled soda, buy powdered Kool-Aid, and refill the bottles. Dryer sheets can be reused many times before throwing them away. The smell is not as potent, but the static removal properties are the same.

If you buy Del's lemonade in quart or half-gallon tubs, you can use the tubs to store food. They have tight-fitting lids and will keep your food as fresh as Tupperware.

If you have old leaky ice-cube trays, reuse them as drawer organizers. You can store pins, paper clips, buttons, safety pins, and other small items.

Milk jugs can be made into fun piggy banks. Decorate with button eyes and felt ears. Don't forget to make a squiggly pipe-cleaner tail.

As you can see, it is easy to reduce, reuse, and recycle. Show your loved ones how to recycle common household items.

Use your imagination,and make it fun for yourself and your family.